Skate.



Patented Aug. 28, I900.

E R N A P P S K A TE (Ajzplication filed Apr; 12,- 1900.

(No Model.)

ATTORNEY n w M v ATENT Fries.

EDWIN R. KNAPP, OF RED BANK, NEW JERSEY.

SKATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 656,819, dated August 28, 1900. Application filed April 12, 1900. Serial No. 12,551. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN R. KNAPP, a citizenof the United States of America, residing at Red Bank, in the county of Monmouth and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Skates, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that form of skate in which the clamps are automatically looked upon the shoe by suitable mechanism operated by the pressure of the foot upon the skate, and in which I provide a releasinglever adapted to release thelocking mechanism by pressure of the foot upon said releasing-lever.

My'invention further relates to that form of skate in which the foot-plate is pivotally fastened to the runner and is provided with sole-clamps, which are adapted to be adjusted to any size shoe by means of a spring gripplate permanently connected with the toeclamps and adj ustably gripping the heelplate. Heretofore skates of this pattern have been made with releasing mechanism operated by the hand.

The object of my invention is to obviate this and provide a skate of the type herein described, having a releasing-lever that can be operated by the toe, and also to provide means for adjusting the several clamps with one adjustment.

The nature of myinvention will be best understood when described in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side view of the skate, showing the foot-plate locked on the runner. Fig.

2 is a partial sectional view and shows the foot-plate raised from the runner and the toe engaging the releasinglever. Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the rear end of the skate. Fig. 4.- is an enlarged detail sectional view of the adjusting grip-plate and adjacent parts. Fig. 5 is a perspective View of the grip-plate.

Similar letters and numerals of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, the letterA designates the runner, pivotally connected at 1 to the sole-plate B of the skate.

2 2 are the heel-clamps formed upon the rear of the heel-plate O and adapted to be engaged by the heel of the shoe.

The heel-plate C is slidably connected to the sole-plate B by means of the pin 3, which is securely fastened to the forward end of the said heel-plate and which is adapted to move forward and backward in a longitudinal slot 4 on the sole-plate.

5 designates a pin extending through longitudinal slots 7 and Sin the overlapping portions of the heel-plate O and the sole-plate B and engaging the ends of the curvedarms 15 of the toe-clamps 17 which arms are held by the depending pins 16, fastened to the sole plate B, and which engage in curved slots in the said arms 15 as usual. 9 is a fiat metal spring fastened to the arms of the toe-clamps by a pin 5, and having a widened upturned end 6, formed with a transverse slot 10, through which the heel-plate C passes. This spring I shall hereinafter term the F grip-plate. 1

18 is a lever pivotally fastened to the runner A at 19, and formed with an upwardlyprojecting clamp 20, passing through a slot 21 in the heel-plate C, and adapted in conjunction with the heel-clamps 2 to hold the skate to the heel of the shoe. Fastened to and forming an extension of the lever 18 is an arm 22, the free end 23 of which is turned downwardly and slotted at 24.- to engage with a projection 25 upon the rear end of the runner A, thus acting to securely lock the footplate to the runner. The upwardly-projecting clamp 20 is made somewhat wider than the slot'2l in the heel-plate (land is grooved on its sides to permit relative longitudinal movement between the two parts, while the clamp is always held to the heel-plate.

26 designates a bell-crank lever pivoted to the runner A at 27 and adapted, by a pressure upon its outer end, to throw out the end 23 of the extension 22 of the lever 18, thereby disengaging the same from the projection 25 and releasing the skate. The extension 22 of the lever 18 passes through notches formed in two guides 28 28, depending from the bottom of the heel-plate, for the purpose of holding said extension to the heelplate while permitting relative longitudinal movement of the parts. r

When applying the skate to the shoe, the foot-plate is turned upwardly about its pivot 1, the foot placed upon it, and then pressed downwardly. During this downward movement of the foot-plate the clamp 20 moves backwardly with reference to the sole-plate I5, engaging with the heel, and forces the same against the heel-clamps 2. The continued downward movement forces the heel-clamps 2, and consequently the heelplate 0, backwardly and causes the toe clamps 17 to be drawn against the sole of the shoe, in View of their connection with the heelplate by the arms 15, pin 5, and the gripplate 9. When the foot-plate is fully down, thesame is locked to the runner by the slot 24 in the turned-down portion 23 of the extension 22 of lever 18 being engaged by the projection 25 of the runner. To adjust the skate to fit any size shoe, the upturned end 6 of the grip-plate 9 is forced forward, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, thereby releasing the heel-plate C from the grip of the grip plate 9,"and so permitting the heel-plate O to be moved longitudinally through the slot in the grip-plate 9, the object being to change the distance between clamps 2 and the inner jointed ends of the arms 15 of the toe-clamps 17. When the clamps are properly adj usted, the pressure upon the end 6 of the grip-plate is removed and the said plate resumes its normal position, in which it grips the heelplate 0. To remove the skate from the shoe, it is only necessary to press down upon the outer end of the lever 26 with the toe of the skate or foot, as shown in Fig. 2. This action throws out the end 23 of the extension 22 and disengages it from the projection 25 on the runner. The adaptation of the disengaging-lever above described obviates the necessity of using the hands to release the skate as heretofore.

" What I claim as new is 1, In askate, the combination with the runner, the foot-plate pivotally connected with said runner, the heel and sole clamps, and the operating mechanism for said clamps, of a projection formed at the rear end of the runner, a spring-plate adapted to engage with said projection, and a releasing-lever pivoted to the rear end of said runner in a position to engage with and throw out the spring-plate, when turned downwardly, substantially as described.

2. In a skate, the combination with the runner, the foot-plate pivotally connected with said runner, and the heel and sole clamps, of an operating-lever pivoted to the forward end of .the runner and provided with an upwardly-projecting clamp adapted to engage the heel of the shoe, a sliding connection between the foot-plate and said operating-lever, an extension on said operating-lever, a projection formed at the rear end of the runner with which said extension is adapted to engage, and a releasing-lever pivoted to the rear end of said runner in position to engage with and throw out or release the extension and consequently the operating-lever, substantially as described.

8. In a skate, the combination with the run- I ed to engage with the runner to lock the footplate to the runner, substantially as described 4. In a skate, the combination with the runner, of a sole-plate pivoted to the runner, a heel-plate slidably connected with the soleplate, toe-clamps attached to a pivot passing through slots in the overlapping portions of the sole and heel plates, heel-clam ps attached to the heel-plate, a lever provided at its free end with a front heel-clamp and pivoted at its other end to the runner, a projection formed at the rear end of the runner, an extension on the free end of the lever adapted to engage with said projection on the runner, a releasing-lever pivoted to the rear end of the runner in a position to engage with and throw out the extension when turned downwardly, and a spring grip-plate attached to said pivot and provided with a transverse slot through which the heel plate extends for locking said plate to the pivot, substantially as described.

5. In a skate, the combination with the run ner and the sole and heel plates slidably connected, of a grip-plate consisting of a springplate connected at one end with the pivot of the toe clamps and having its other end turned upwardly and provided with a slot through which the forward portion of the heel-plate passes, the latter being thereby held against outward movement, While when the upwardly-turned end of the grip-plate is forced forward, the heel-plate can be moved relatively to the joiningpivot of the toeclamps for the adjustment of the several clamps, substantially as described.

6. In a skate, the combination with the runner and the sole-plate, of movable heel and, toe clamps, a spring grip-plate permanently attached at one end to one set of clamps and having at its other end a transverse slot for adj ustably gripping the inserted plate of the second set of clamps, substantially as de scribed.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDWIN R. KNAPP. Witnesses:

EUGENIE P. HENDRIoKsoN, A. FABER DU FAUR, Jr. 

